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Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze wasn’t happy with the officiating in his team’s loss to Oklahoma on Sunday, and the SEC admitted a crucial touchdown shouldn’t have counted.
The Sooners won 24-17 over the Tigers, thanks in part to trickery on an Isaiah Sategna III wide-open touchdown. The conference later ruled the play illegal, saying it should have been called for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The second-quarter play appeared to show Sategna running toward the sideline for a substitution, but he stopped near the boundary. Auburn’s defense believed he was out of the game until the ball was snapped and immediately thrown to him for an easy touchdown.
During his postgame interview, Freeze acknowledged he had to “better be quiet,” or risk a hefty fine for criticizing officials. But ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin called the play illegal after reviewing it on the broadcast, and Freeze agreed after the game.
Freeze told reporters he had warned his staff “all offseason” that such plays were deemed illegal and shouldn’t be run. Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, however, described it as a “tempo play” rather than a deception, claiming Sategna checked in with an official before the snap.
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The SEC sided with Auburn in its ruling, citing “NCAA football Rule 9-2, Article 2,” labeled “unfair tactics.”
“No simulated replacements or substitutions may be used to confuse opponents. No tactic associated with substitutes or the substitution process may be used to confuse opponents. This includes any hideout tactic with or without a substitution,” the SEC said in a statement.
“The officiating crew did not properly interpret the action as a hideout tactic. If properly officiated, the second-down play should have resulted in a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards assessed from the previous spot.”
Freeze was also frustrated with another play involving Sategna. Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee appeared to pick up a fumble and return it for a touchdown. Auburn believed Sategna had caught the pass before losing control, but after review, officials ruled it incomplete.
“I don’t know how it’s not a fumble,” Freeze said. “I don’t know. Maybe they had a different review up top. Looked like he juggled at first, regained, and ran. We stripped it. Thought it should have been a touchdown.”
Unfortunately for the Tigers, both calls went against them, and losing by just a touchdown made the outcome sting even more.
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